Album Review: Bonded by Blood – Exiled to Earth

Although many will make the claim that the pure thrash of the 1980’s is dead Bonded by Blood have managed to create 13 song album filled with the 80’s thrash that many have forgotten. The band’s sophomore effort titled, “Exiled to Earth” takes listeners 600 years into the future where aliens of a distant planet have taken over the human race and forced them into slavery. Although there is a space theme you won’t find any weird space sounds such as The Faceless have done with their album “Planetary Duality”; you will find quick thrash beats heavy guitars and clear vocals that share the story of the future.

“Exiled to Earth” demonstrates that Metallica and Exodus still have influence over modern thrash bands. Let’s face it the current big names in thrash like Unearth and Municipal waste have strayed away from what the creators of the genre had in mind when they were writing their first riffs. Quick pick work and palm mutes make for a thrilling album that will not soon be forgotten.

One thing this album has the current wave of thrash doesn’t have; a real vocalist. It takes a lot for the vocals to become a key point in the album and Bonded by Blood have managed to find their perfect vocalist for their sound. I mean, Jose Barrales can really belt it out. He truly stands out on the 53 second song “Parasitic Infection” where he is obviously screaming his lungs out but still keeping some kind of melody over the furious guitar work of Alex Lee and Juan Juarez.

My only problem with the album is that it can at times get repetitive. Most of the songs have very similar structure that almost makes you think you’ve been listening to the same song over and over again. I also feel that the band has lightened up the guitar tone since their last album. On “Feed the Machine” the band had a darker, more doom filled tone than they have on this album. That may be because they tuned up for “Exiled to Earth” or they are just experimenting with newer tones, either way they should have stuck with their guitar sound on “Feed the Machine”.